Queen's Faculty of Law: QLaw Pod

Title: Suing City Hall: Class Actions as Private Enforcement of Local Governments Date: Monday, March 23, 2026 Description: Using data from Israel, this study examines the scope and effectiveness of class actions filed against local governments. The researchers analyzed about 2,000 cases, coding key details such as subject matter, outcomes and remedies. The findings show class actions can strengthen oversight of local governments, while also identifying ways to reduce misuse of the process by plaintiffs’ lawyers. Speakers: Omer Kimhi - Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, Haifa University

Title: Upside Down: Anti-Palestinian Racism, Judicial Bias, and Inverted Racial Power Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 Description: This paper wrestles with the contradiction of legal objectivity/subjectivity using the case study of the bias complaint against Justice Spiro for his interference in the hiring of a scholar at the University of Toronto who applied international law to Israel. We trace the meaning of judicial bias from the Court’s leading decision (RDS) to its citation by B’nai Brith of Canada League for Human Rights (B’nai Brith) in its successful intervention before the Federal Court in Justice Spiro’s case. Whereas RDS conceived of bias as permitting (rare) judicial anti-racism, B’nai Brith, the Canadian Judicial Council, and the Federal Court all conceived bias as, in effect, permitting judicial racism—what we term an “upside down” analysis premised on Zionist subjectivity. Speakers: Joshua Sealy-Harrington - Associate Professor & Chair in Palestinian Human Rights in Canada

Title: Reimagining Democratic Rights Date: Monday, March 2, 2026 Description: Democratic rights are the most important rights in the Charter because they are what restrains authoritarianism; they are exempted from the Notwithstanding Clause so that democracy cannot be legislated out of existence. Justice Feasby will argue in this presentation that our democratic rights jurisprudence is based on historical fiction, lacks a coherent political theory, and uses a Charter interpretive methodology that is anomalous. The Supreme Court of Canada’s substitution of fuzzy derivative rights like “effective representation” and “meaningful participation” for the actual rights provided for in Charter s 3 insulates limits on democratic rights from genuine scrutiny and leaves democracy vulnerable to abuse. He will propose a new approach to the Charter s 3 rights to vote and to stand for election. Justice Feasby contends that democracy would be better protected by a modest approach to Charter s 3 that hews closer to the constitutional text and recognizes the purpose of democratic rights as only to be protection for the minimal conditions of democracy. Justice Colin C.J. Feasby graduated from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law in 1998. He later attended Columbia University where he earned an LL.M and J.S.D. He practiced at Osler for over 20 years, serving the Managing Partner of the Calgary Office for four years. As a lawyer, Justice Feasby had an active trial and appellate practice acting for corporate clients as well as a significant pro bono public interest practice. He appeared before many courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada several times. He has written extensively on constitutional law subjects, particularly concerning democracy issues. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2020 and then to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta in 2021. In his time as a justice, he has written many significant decisions including concerning the rights of family members to intervene in patient decisions about Medical Assistance in Dying, the constitutionality of changes to Alberta regulations governing opioid prescription, the constitutionality of the Alberta Personal Information Protection Act, and whether a referendum on the independence of Alberta from Canada contravenes Charter and Treaty rights. Speakers: Justice Colin C.J. Feasby

Title: Making Disability Rights a Reality - Honouring the Legal Rights of the Minority of Everyone Date: Monday, February 23, 2026 Description: Mr. Lepofsky visits Queen’s University as a Visiting Professor of Disability Rights bringing extensive knowledge that spans a wide range of legal areas including Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Tort Law, Contracts, Property Law, Labour Law, Employment Law, Human Rights Law, and criminal appeals. He holds an LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School, an LL.M from Harvard Law School, and several honorary doctorates. He chairs the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance and has held key leadership roles advocating for disability rights across multiple sectors.. Speakers: David Lepofsky - Visiting Professor of Disability Rights

Title: Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 Description: The world is facing a deepening climate crisis, the legacy of genocide and mass atrocities, and a rise in hate and division. There is an urgent need to renew the promise of universal human rights, both in our communities and globally. Alex Neve’s 2025 CBC Massey Lectures examine that challenge, highlighting the importance of people power and solidarity. In this talk, Neve will outline the themes of the lectures, including the fractured state of the world, the importance of universality and a hopeful path forward. Speakers: Alex Neve - Professor of international human rights, University of Ottawa; and 2025 CBC Massey Lecturer

Title: Constitutional Silence, Section 36 and Public Services on Indian Reserves Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 Description: Canada’s long-delayed legal reckoning with unequal public services on Indian reserves is only beginning. This article has two main parts. First, it examines why courts have largely avoided the constitutional questions raised by decades of inadequate services on reserves. That silence is striking, given the persistence and scale of the problem. Second, it argues that Section 36 of the Constitution Act, 1982 should play a central role in that debate. Section 36 calls for “reasonably comparable services” and “essential public services of reasonable quality” for all Canadians. Yet Indian reserves have effectively been excluded from equalization, a gap that has allowed inequality to persist. The article proposes treating Section 36 as a set of directive principles — not directly enforceable rights, but more than political promises — to guide courts and governments. Although no Canadian judge has yet used Section 36 this way, it offers a promising tool for addressing long-standing inequities. Speakers: Andrew Stobo Sniderman - PhD Cand., Harvard Law School & Co-author of Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation

We are pleased to have Professor Jim Phillips, one of Canada's, and the world's, leading legal historians visit us. Professor Phillips will provide general remarks on the field of legal history before exploring the subjects addressed by his recent book: the law governing married women in the later nineteenth century as well as the operation of the civil courts, the forensic skills of leading members of the Ontario legal profession, constitutional law, and parliamentary divorce during this time.

Title: End-of-Life Online Fireside Chat Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 Description: On Monday, December 8, we held a free online Fireside Chat on End-of-Life Law. Dean Colleen Flood was joined by Alexandra Manthorpe (Partner, Cunningham Swan), Leanne Kaufman (President and CEO RBC Royal Trust) and Dr. David Freedman (Associate Professor, Queen’s Law) for an important panel discussion on End-of-Life Law & Planning. Covering important areas, such as Wills, Trust, and Estates, this panel is intended to de-mystify the legal implications around planning for End-of-Life. If you are interested in learning more about End-of-Life learn more about our session that we are running in early January. - https://law.queensu.ca/programs/end-of-life Speakers: Colleen M. Flood - Dean, Queen's Faculty of Law Alexandra Manthorpe, Law'10 - Partner, Cunningham Swan Leanne Kaufman, Law'96 - President and CEO RBC Royal Trust Dr. David Freedman - Associate Professor, Queen’s Faculty of Law

Title: FLSQ - Garnet Families: Creating a research ecosystem centering defence and public safety families Date: Monday, November 10, 2025 Description: In 2022, Dr. Cramm consolidated her research program under the interdisciplinary and international Families Matter Research Group (FMRG) (https://garnetfamilies.com/fmrg/). The concept of “Garnet families” has become a unifying framework for the group’s research, network and partnership activities. Garnet families experience a unique combination of lifestyle factors — risks, identities, logistics and mobility — that interact dynamically throughout the life course. Most members of the FMRG team have personal connections to Garnet families, viewing their research as a form of service to that community. These connections deepen their commitment and provide insights that enrich the work. Dr. Cramm serves as project director for the SSHRC-funded Garnet Families Partnership (2024–31), an international collaboration among Garnet families and those who study, serve and support them. Using a collective impact approach, the partnership aims to strengthen networks, expand knowledge and build capacity. Speakers: Dr. Heidi Cramm - Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Queen’s University

Title: Unreasonably hypothetical: what’s wrong with s.12 Date: Monday, November 17, 2025 Description: Proportionality in punishment is deeply uncertain. Even when people agree on facts and values, they often reach different but reasonable conclusions about appropriate sentences. Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court of Canada’s reliance on “reasonable hypotheticals” to strike down mandatory minimums under Section 12 of the Charter is flawed. Abstract principles cannot produce a single correct sentencing outcome. The Court’s use of “reasonable hypotheticals” obscures the comparative reasoning behind sentencing in a common law system and replaces democratic accountability with judicial intuition. Speakers: Vincent Chiao - Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law

Title: The Open Court Principle and the Use of NDAs in Air Passenger Complaints Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025 Description: This talk examines efforts by airlines and the federal government to limit passengers and the media from discussing legally binding decisions in air passenger complaints, including the reasons and evidence behind them. Openness in judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings is a right protected by the Charter. That right has come under pressure in recent years, not only through airlines’ use of non-disclosure agreements with passengers, but also through a 2023 amendment to the Canada Transportation Act. The amendment imposes confidentiality on evidence, reasons and decisions in air passenger complaints, preventing passengers from discussing how their cases were resolved. The provision is now the subject of a Charter challenge. Speakers: Dr. Gábor Lukács - President | Air Passenger Rights

Title: FLSQ - From Silence to Systems Change: Collective Strategies to End Femicide and Gender-Based Violence Date: Monday, September 29, 2025 Description: Every 48 hours in Canada, a woman, girl or gender-diverse person is killed in an act of femicide. This lecture examines gender-based violence (GBV) prevention locally in Ottawa, nationally across Canada and internationally within movements to end femicide. It will explore systemic barriers rooted in colonialism and exclusion, alongside new strategies for coordination, accountability and community-led change. Drawing on Ottawa’s three-year GBV Action Plan, the session highlights bold, community-driven approaches to ending femicide. Speakers: Astara van der Jagt - Director of Programs, Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW); Founder/CEO, EquiShift

Title: FLSQ - Safer Spaces, Stronger Selves: Gender Justice in Housing and Human Security Date: Monday, September 22, 2025 Description: The word “homelessness” seldom comes to mind when thinking of women fleeing violence. But rising housing insecurity and overlapping housing crises are creating gender-specific risks. This talk will share research underway through the interdisciplinary Quebec Homelessness Prevention Policy Collaborative, and its legal reform project that uses a human rights-based approach to law to drive social change. Speakers: Pearl Eliadis - Associate Professor (professional), Max Bell School of Public Policy; Full Member, Centre for Human Rights and legal pluralism, Faculty of Law, McGill University

Title: Law'80 Careers in Business Law Panel - Navigating a career in the banking and financial sector Date: Monday, October 20, 2025 Description: Queen’s Faculty of Law and the Corporate Law Club are pleased to showcase the annual Law'80 Careers in Business Law Panel. This year’s Q&A will focus on navigating a career in the banking and financial sector. Hear from three lawyers on the opportunities and challenges in this area of law. Speakers: Sam DiGiuseppe, Law'22 - Associate, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Alice Abbott, Law'88, MBA'96 - Formerly Global General Counsel, GPS Capital Markets Erica Young, B.Comm’08 - Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel, Canada Life

Thirteen Economies, One Country: How the Highest Court Undermined a National Canadian Economy Canada is one country, but economically it is a patchwork of 13 regional economies. Interprovincial trade barriers cost billions in lost productivity and innovation. As federal and provincial governments work to dismantle these internal walls, the question remains: why do they exist and why have they persisted? The roots of Canada’s fragmented market lie not only in politics or provincial protectionism, but also in constitutional interpretation. Confederation’s framers envisioned a strong federal role in commerce, but the Supreme Court narrowed federal trade powers and expanded provincial authority over property and civil rights. This lecture explores how judicial choices shaped Canada’s patchwork economy, why past decisions are difficult to overcome, and why today offers the best chance in generations to build a freer national market.

The Supreme Court of Canada: The first 150 years Since its establishment in 1875, the role of the Supreme Court of Canada has undergone a series of fundamental changes. The lecture will describe these changes, leading up to the current role of the court in the Charter era. Speakers The Honourable Malcolm Rowe Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

Title: Transforming Justice - A Crime to Rhyme: Race, Rap, and the Criminal Legal System Date: Friday, May 16, 2025. This podcast was recorded from a panel that was held virtually as part of the 14th Annual Critical Perspectives Conference “Transforming Justice,” hosted by University of Victoria. Description: In May 2025, Professor Lisa M. Kelly, Ms. Afsheen Chowdhury (Law’24) and Mr. Lamar Skeete joined in a virtual conversation for the 14th Annual Critical Perspectives Conference, “Transforming Justice,” hosted by University of Victoria. Their panel – A Crime to Rhyme: Race, Rap, and the Criminal Legal System – discussed the controversial practice of using rap lyrics to secure criminal convictions. Each year, Prof. Kelly teaches Mr. Skeete’s case – R. v. Skeete (Ontario Court of Appeal, 2017) – in her Evidence course where students consider what happens when art is put on trial. In this conversation across prison walls, Kelly, Chowdhury, and Skeete discuss racial bias, systemic injustice, and the transformative power of education and community between prison and the academy. Speakers: Lisa Kelly, Associate Professor, Queen's Law Afsheen Chowdhury, Law'24 Lamar Skeete

Title: Marcus-Matalon Lecture on U.S. Law - The US Constitution as the Law of the Land: Maps, Militaries, and the Mississippi - Akhil Reed Amar Date: Friday, March 21, 2025 Description: Explore U.S. constitutional geography, indivisibility and neighbouring borders in this preview of the book Born Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840-1920, in this year’s Marcus-Matalon Lecture. Speakers: Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University Stephen Marcus, Principal at the Marcus Firm, PLLC Mohamed Khimji, David Allgood Professor in Business Law; Professor Queen's Law

Title: Visiting Speaker Thomas Isaac - Emerging Issues in Aboriginal Law Date: Friday, March 17, 2025 Description: Explore Aboriginal title, Métis rights and the honour of the Crown in an in-depth look at Thomas Isaac's new sixth edition of Aboriginal Law. Speakers: Thomas Isaac, Partner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP; Chair, Aboriginal Law Group Cherie Metcalf, Associate Dean (Research), Professor, Queen's Law

Title: The J.A. Corry Lecture with Samuel Issacharoff - An event to honour the life and work of Professor Alvin Cheung - Emergencies, Alien and Domestic Date: Friday, March 7, 2025 Description: An old saying has it that war is bad for liberty but good for democracy. In exchange for support to face an external threat and the suspension of rights during wartime, citizens are often rewarded with greater political liberties post conflict. In contrast, responses to domestic “enemies” are more threatening to democracies, undermining legitimacy during a crisis and eroding rights in the aftermath. These themes are considered in light of emerging populist challenges to democracy. Speakers: Samuel Issacharoff, Reiss Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University School of Law Cherie Metcalf, Associate Dean (Research), Professor, Queen's Law Alyssa King, Assistant Professor, Queen's Law